(Actors Theatre of Louisville)Actors Theatre of Louisville announced Robert Barry Fleming's departure as executive artistic director in a press release Wednesday.“It has been the privilege, honor, and daily joy of my lifetime to work and learn with and from this extraordinary Actors team. Though the challenges of stewarding a regional theater through a global pandemic and the detrimental comprehensive impact it has had on our industry has been formidable for everyone in our field who care about and are dedicated to the American theatre, I’m nothing less than ‘beyond-my-wildest dreams’ grateful for the wonderful partnerships that have emerged and the sense of community and connecting across difference that has manifested from our collective efforts,” Fleming said in the news release.Fleming's tenure at Actors was marked with highs and lows.They began the role in June 2019 after Les Waters resigned at the end of the 2017-2018 season. Before Fleming officially started as executive artistic director, managing director Kevin E. Moore also left the organization; the terms of his departure were unclear at the time.Nine months into Fleming’s time at Actors, the COVID-19 pandemic and shelter-in-place orders shuttered theaters nationwide.In 2020, Actors Theatre held the now defunct Humana Festival of New American Plays virtually as a means to make up for the lack of in-person programming. A virtual festival occurred again in 2021. And in 2022, Actors Theatre announced there would be no Humana Festival, ending the run of a local and national fixture of new plays.Fleming also oversaw other major shifts in organizational strategy and offerings. During their tenure, the theater nixed long-time staples in an attempt to stage more diverse offerings.One notable example is pivoting away from the years-long running of the classic production “Dracula” and staging the more recently written “Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy.”Fleming told LPM News in Oct. 2021 that Actors Theatre needed to evolve “as a transmedia, hybrid company [operating] on multiple platforms as opposed to simply a regional theater that does shows on a transactional basis.”Fleming introduced the Storytelling (r)Evolution initiative which brought world premieres like “I AM DELIVERED’T,” a show that looks at the intersections of the church and LGTBQ+ identities, to Louisville audiences to showcase diverse perspectives. Under Fleming, Actors took on a “radical hospitality” approach trying to be a welcoming space for as many people as possible while also building new partnerships within the community.Financial hardships caused, in part, by the pandemic saw layoffs at organization and the sale of one of Actors’ buildings.“Robert furthered and deepened the mission of Actors Theatre of Louisville with bold and exciting artistic programming as well as meaningful community partnerships,” said Mac Thompson, Actors Theatre Board of Directors president, in the news release. “They navigated the tremendous challenges of the pandemic shutdown with grace and wisdom, and they have steered Actors Theatre towards a brilliant future. On behalf of the full Board of Directors, I wish Robert all the best in their future pursuits.”The board of directors appointed impact producer and co-director of artistic programming Amelia Acosta Powell as interim artistic director and executive producer and co-director of artistic programming Emily Tarquin as interim managing director.The news release said upcoming programming should continue uninterrupted.